The last of the New England Patriots’ marquee free agents is staying with the team.

Longtime kicker Stephen Gostkowski, who remained unsigned for nearly a month, has re-signed with the Patriots on a two-year deal, according to multiple reports.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported the story.

One of the most accurate kickers in NFL history, Gostkowski converted 84.4 percent of his field goals a year ago, ranking 20th in the league. That figure was tied for his lowest conversion rate since 2012.

Even so, Gostkowski rarely left easy points on the board. He made 35 consecutive kicks inside 50 yards to start the season. His first miss from inside the 50 was in a Week 13 win over the Vikings.

Gostkowski, 35, will enter his 14th season with the Patriots. He was selected in the fourth round of the 2006 draft as Adam Vinatieri’s successor and has exceeded all expectations.

“I think he showed an incredible amount of maturity and poise his rookie year,” Patriots Coach Bill Belichick said this past July when reflecting on Gostkowski’s career. “He came into probably as difficult a situation as any player that I’ve ever – rookie player – that I’ve brought on to a team with the expectations that were with him and, obviously, with what Adam had done before he was here. Steve’s been really consistent through all of these years.”

Belichick described Gostkowski as a “very accountable, dependable, physically and mentally tough player.”

“I’ve been very fortunate here to have two of the best kickers that have ever played in the National Football League as the head coach here, so I feel very fortunate to have had Steve and Adam,” Belichick said.

With Gostkowski back in the fold, the Patriots won’t experience any turnover among their specialists. The team re-signed punter Ryan Allen earlier this offseason.

The Patriots put a strong emphasis on special teams in free agency. Not only did they bring back Gostkowski and Allen, but they signed top coverage players Brandon Bolden and Terrence Brooks. The coverage units, which struggled at times in the 2018 season, should be improved heading into the new season.

Gostkowski is the fifth Patriots free agent to re-sign with the team. The Patriots also brought back wide receiver Phillip Dorsett, cornerback Jason McCourty, and linebacker John Simon.

The club did not re-sign defensive end Trey Flowers (Lions) and offensive tackle Trent Brown (Raiders). The departures of both players could yield compensatory picks in the 2020 draft.

The Patriots also lost defensive tackle Malcom Brown (Saints), wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson (Bears), cornerback Eric Rowe (Dolphins), and offensive tackle LaAdrian Waddle (Bills).

Wide receiver Chris Hogan, defensive tackle Danny Shelton, and running back Jeremy Hill remain unsigned.

FALCONS: Defensive end Adrian Clayborn is returning to Atlanta on a one-year contract following one season with the New England Patriots.

Clayborn, 30, played for the Falcons from 2015-17 and is best known for setting a team record with six sacks against the Dallas Cowboys in 2016.

Clayborn had 11 tackles and three sacks in the regular season and postseason for the Super Bowl champion Patriots last season. He had 13 sacks in his three seasons with the Falcons.

Clayborn was a first-round pick by Tampa Bay in the 2011 draft. He had 13 sacks in four seasons with the Buccaneers.

CHARGERS: La’Roi Glover is joining the Los Angeles Chargers as an assistant defensive line coach.

Glover held the same position with the New York Jets the past two years. He played for four teams in a 13-year NFL career, making 81 sacks, and had six straight Pro Bowl appearances from 2000-05.

Glover replaces Eric Henderson, who left to become the Los Angeles Rams defensive line coach.

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